A Day at the Mandai Zoo Singapore

Having visited the impressive new Bird Paradise, I thought, how long has it been since I visited the Mandai Zoo?

At least ten years, probably. Back then, we called it the Singapore Zoo.

As the year draws a close, it’s time to put the company’s free Mandai tickets to good use. And that’s how this post came to be. I brought my parents to the Zoo one fine Saturday morning during the – supposedly – busy December holiday.

Thinking of visiting the award-winning Singapore Zoo soon? Well, here’s what to expect.

I visited the Zoo in December 2023 with my parents on the company’s pass. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog! It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!

Ticket

Tickets cost S$48 for adults and S$33 for children as of Dec 2023. Locals enjoy additional discounts when they sign up for the free Wild Pass. You could enjoy more savings by purchasing multi-park combos.

There are other activities in the Zoo, like Breakfast in the Wild, where you get to enjoy a sumptuous buffet of breakfast delights, an Animal Appearance show, and photo taking with the animals. And also separate feeding sessions for certain animals, such as Elephants and Giraffes.

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Opening Hours

The Zoo is open everyday from 8.30 AM to 6 PM.

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Transport

‘Travelling to the Mandai region is easy’ does not ring a bell to me. As someone living in the East, Mandai is like a faraway jungle, even though Singapore is petite.

Fortunately, we have a relatively connected and low-cost transport line that links wherever you are to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. The only downside – perhaps laughable to my foreign friends – is the long travelling time and hassle of changing transportation.

Of course, you can do away with all these by Grabbing or driving to the park. Parking fees start at S$3 for the first hour, and S$2 for every additional hour, up to a max of $10/ entry. It’s easy to max out when you spend half a day (~5 hours) within the parks.

I’m not sure if it’s easy to call for a Grab from Mandai. There’s a taxi surcharge of S$3 if taking the taxi out of Mandai.

Mandai Khatib Shuttle

The easiest and cheapest route for me is to take the North-South red line to Khatib MRT station, and then board the park’s direct Mandai Khatib Shuttle. The shuttle operates from 8 AM to 12 AM, with a 10 – 15 mins frequency, and goes through all the major parks in the Reserve.

The Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari are next to each other, situated deeper within the Mandai Reserve. Everyone has to pass through the underground tunnel towards the Bird Paradise before reaching the other parks.

Starting from 16 October 2023, the price for this shuttle has increased from S$1 to S$2, if you’re taking it from Khatib MRT. Travelling within the park via this shuttle is free, as is taking the shuttle back to Khatib MRT. Make sure you have your usual EZ-Link/ contactless bank cards ready for tapping, as cash is not accepted.

Bus 138

Alternatively, you could also take bus 138 from the Springleaf MRT station of the Thomson-East Coast brown line, or from Ang Mo Kio MRT station of the North-South red line, to the Reserve.

Special Shuttle Service

Whoever thought of this scheme is making life easier for the folks, especially those with children, living in the East.

A Mandai Heartlands Express operates during the weekends of school holidays and public holidays from Bedok, Sengkang and Tampines. It costs S$3 for adults and S$1 for children for a one-way shuttle. This means it’ll cost S$6/ S$2 for a return – not too bad considering the hassle of getting there. Book your tickets early to secure the slots, as each town block has only two timings.

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Attractions within Mandai Zoo

The Map

Have a closer look at the map – you can see two loops demarcated by the free tram shuttle. Our visit was mostly on foot throughout the day. Tram rides came in later to bridge the gap of the enclosures we’ve covered in the bigger loop and the afternoon show at the Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre.

It took us under two hours to complete a sizable number of enclosures before the first show at the Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre at 10.30 AM. In between the first show and the next at 12 NN was an hour to wander through the first half of the bigger loop. Then we bulldozed what remained after the afternoon show and left the Zoo at 2 – 3 PM.

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Treetop Trails

The Treetop Trails was naturally our first stop once we passed through the ticket checks. I’m not quite sure why the Treetop when we were below the trees, and the trail isn’t that long, really.

Anyhow, we saw two Siamang Primate – black-furred gibbons – lazing atop the branches. What fascinated my parents more was the giant fish underneath the boardwalk.

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Proboscis Monkey

We wandered from the Treetop Trails into the ‘Rainforest Walk’, as the map states, and into the enclosure of Proboscis Monkeys. The alpha male was seated right smack in the middle of the branch strategically located from the viewing panel during our visit. There were one or two little monkeys nibbling on leaves.

I have loved Proboscis Monkey since I was young for their odd noses. Turns out those fleshy pendulous noses were meant to attract mates! You could read more about this Old World monkey here on Nat Geo.

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Otters

As we meandered towards the majestic tigers, we passed by a family of otters having fun investigating a trunk. Well, at least these pseudo-dogs are active, and not lazing around like the other larger-sized animals. Still, I would have much preferred to see them running in real life down the Singapore River.

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Anoa, Babirusa and Pygmy Hippos

Along with the tigers and otters were the enclosures for other four-legged beasts.

But alas, our timings were early – slightly before 9 AM – and most of the animals were either lazing in another pen or sleeping in another sheltered area. We came back again at the end of the day to have a glimpse of what’s what.

Babirusas are such strange hogs with curving tusks that could twirl beyond their skulls and reach an impressive length of 17 inches! You can read more about this interesting Sulawesi pig-deer here.

Anoas are like diminutive cows or buffaloes. It was said that these animals might have been domesticated for human consumption – meat and milk – had it not been for their temperamental nature. They’re also from Sulawesi.

Then there is the chubby sausage-like Pygmy Hippo that just happened to grace us with its presence when we were at its enclosure. One was happily chomping away at the hanging leaves.

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Malayan and White Tigers

The tigers have meet-and-greet schedules, apparently, with the Malayan Tigers appearing only on Mon, Wed, and Sat, and the White Tigers out in full glory on Tue, Thu, Fri, and Sun. Guess we could only have one set of tigers at any moment.

We rerouted back in the afternoon for the two giant orange cats, as they were not around in the early morning.

Do you know there are many subspecies of the striped cat? There used to be nine, but only six remain. The largest reside in the far east Russia! Check this out if you’re keen to explore more about tigers.

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Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Here you’d find two curious meerkats trying to plot their escape, the majestic Nubian Ibex, Rock Hyrax, Common Cusimanse, South African Ground Squirrel, and a whole village of shocking pink-bottomed Hamadryas Baboons.

The space is designed with huts and African-themed decorations, with informational boards on the culture and animals of Africa. What fascinated all of us was the number of baboons! We even caught an amorous pair in the act that lasted all of 5 s.

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Australasia

All sorts of Marsupial mammals are found in that part of the world. Features the golden fur Tree Kangaroos, the muscular Grey Kangaroos, and Wallabies. There isn’t a real barricade or fence for the kangaroos – they can hop over, but I doubt they will want to do so (oh, it’s another strange two-legged bald creature staring at us, eww 😂).

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Primate Kingdom

There are plenty of monkeys – duh, it’s called the primate kingdom! – residing in their little islands. We saw three pocket-sized cute Cotton-top Tamarins, the strange De Brazza’s Monkey with droopy cheek pouches, the Eastern Black-and-white Colobus with its long calligraphy-brush-like tail, and the Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur.

Other primates include the uniquely White-faced Saki Monkey, the photogenic Douc Langur, the Black-handed Spider Monkey, and the Squirrel Monkey.

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Elephants of Asia

We rounded the loop just before the first animal show with the elephants. Their exhibit is semi-circular with a moat separating the elephants and the huts where the humans sit.

We saw one dancing or exercising while we were there, swishing her trunks and moving her hips. Another was playing with the sand bath (?) at the back.

Three more elephants were slowly savouring their meals at the back of the exhibit.

All elephants in the Mandai Zoo are females. Their one sole male resides in the Night Safari. Two other males are on a breeding exchange programme in zoos overseas. 

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Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre

There are four shows in the Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre daily, featuring either Splash Safari or the Rainforest Fights Back.

Compared to the massive amphitheatre of the new kid on the block, the Bird Paradise, this theatre is considerably smaller. Yet, despite its size, there are always seats available. It’s also not as hot and humid.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves for the first show – the Splash Safari – where a Californian sea lion playfully splashed around the wet stage, thereby drenching anyone seated in the first two rows. Pedro, the star performer of our show, is such an intelligent creature that shares a wonderful dynamic with its minder. Showtime for the Splash Safari is at 10.30 AM and 5 PM.

The afternoon show – the Rainforest Fights Back – was interesting in its own way with the small primates, pigs, a naughty Macaw and a bullied hornbill. Showtime for the Rainforest Fights Back is at 12 NN and 2.30 PM.

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Orangutan Island

In between the two shows, we browsed through the Orangutan Island with its long shaggy orange inhabitants lazing by the rocks.

One particular big and sentient (so much so that I was intimidated and did not take a photo!) orangutan – might have been Ishta, the granddaughter of homegrown celebrity Ah Meng – was comfortably lounging on a hammock, her eyes periodically scanning the room, looking at the newcomers.

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African Penguins

Between the Orangutans and the Amphitheatre is a spot that houses a play area and the African Penguins. While these penguins do not need an especially cold Arctic-like condition, unlike their peers in the Bird Paradise, their double-walled glass enclosure is still frosty to the touch.

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Reptile Garden

We ambled up the bigger loop to where the reptiles reside. It was a relief walking through the air-conditioned indoor corridors as we tried to spot the tortoises, snakes, frogs and lizards resting within their enclosures.

Some giant insects like scorpions, left insects and tarantulas are housed in this garden too.

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Chimpanzees and Macaques

Next up from the Reptile Garden, we swing by the chimpanzees and macaques zone.

There is not much to remark, apart from this hilarious comment from my dad regarding the hairstyle of the Celebes crested macaque – hair salons must have gotten their inspiration from these macaques! Then again, these macaques are indeed rather photogenic. One of whom, affectionately named Naruto, took a selfie that went viral.

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Fragile Forest

The Fragile Forest was our last stop before we headed back to the afternoon show at the Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre via the free tram ride.

Within the 20,000 cm3 biodome are a rich variety of animals – from graceful butterflies, languid bats, shy mousedeers, and pigeons of all sizes. One bird managed to land its poop on my toes during our visit.

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Kidz World

I’m too old to qualify as a kid.

Nevertheless, here at Kidz World, your child will interact with free-ranging farm animals, and small pets, and watch some performances. There’s also a cafe and KFC inside to rest and recharge.

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Wild Africa

Our last stop of the day – discounting us heading back to catch the missing Malayan tigers – was the African zone.

It’s fun to see the giraffes gracefully chewing on the leaves hung from a tall pole, and the zebras aimlessly wandering in their enclosures.

We also saw a keeper feeding the African Painted Dogs and learnt how this pack of dogs possess a strong communal spirit, making sure none of their sick, young, and old go hungry.

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Eateries

Compared to the new Bird Paradise, there really aren’t that many food options in the Mandai Zoo.

As with the Bird Paradise, we packed our sandwiches.

Dining outside the park

• KFC. Self-explanatory fast food joint.
• Inuka Cafe. More snacks and treats like kaya toast breakfast set than proper legit meals.
• Chomel Bistro. Local fare like laksa, nasi lemak and fried bee hoon.
• Chawang Bistro. Western food.
• Haagen Dazs. Ice cream…
• The Wild Mart. Special animal-themed baos.

Dining in the park

• Ah Meng Restaurant. Located by the Orangutan Island and Tram Stop 1. The most economical food option with laksa, chicken rice, noodles and the like.
• Ah Meng Bistro. Around the same vicinity as the formal, but sells pastries and baked goods.
• KFC. Located in Kidz World.
• Kidzworld Cafe. Located in Kidz World. 

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Strategy

Planning is my hobby!

As with the Bird Paradise, my visit to the Zoo activated this quirky hobby. We initially wanted to do the Zoo in the morning, followed by River Wonders thereafter, as the weekend of our visit was the last weekend for Singapore-born panda Le Le. Le Le was due to return to China this coming January and had to go through a month-long quarantine.

But we realised too late as we left the Zoo – Le Le has a fixed working hour/ public appearance of 10 AM – 2 PM! And so, we called it a day and reserved the tickets for next year instead. No Le Le, but we still have Jia Jia and Kai Kai.

We completed the smaller loop on the left before the first show at 10.30 AM. It was then another hour to spare before the next show. With an hour to play with, we wandered up to the upper sections of the bigger loop, before taking the free tram ride back for the afternoon show. It was then the same tram ride back to complete whatever was remaining on the bigger loop.

So here it is – a section to share with my other fellow planners and non-planners.

Mandai App

First, ensure you’ve seen the map (links to the official Mandai Zoo map in PDF). But having said that, if you’ve read my blog post thus far, you should have a good gist of what the park is like.

Download the Mandai App to get updates on showtimes. For our visit on Saturday, we managed to catch both shows at 10:30 AM and 12 NN. The afternoon showtimes are 2.30 PM and 5 PM.

You could also set reminders about the shows or animal presentations, plan your itinerary, and scan QR codes within the park in the app to get translated information about the animals.

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Performances at Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre

The enclosures are there throughout the opening hours, but not the shows. There are only four per day, so plan to see through one of each.

Having seen the impressive cinematic shows at Bird Paradise, I was a little disappointed by the shows in the Zoo. Then again, it wasn’t a fair comparison since the Zoo is old, and they can’t make the big animals prance around like in the circus.

Be there early for your pick of seats, but don’t worry if you don’t. Somehow, the shows in the Zoo start slightly later, and there are always seats in the comparatively smaller amphitheatre. Perhaps the crowds have moved to the Bird Paradise…

It can get quite hot and sweaty. If the heat is unbearable, bring portable fans.

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Additional Tips

• Start early. It gets hotter throughout the day. When the weather gets too hot, the animals hide. I’d feel like hiding in air-con rooms too.
• Bring a bottle. Why waste money to buy water when you can top up your bottle at the water refill stations scattered around the park. Be sustainable.
• Carry a portable fan. Oh yes, please do.
• Wear light clothes. It’s going to be so hot. Please don’t wear jeans. Bring a change of clothes if you might sweat through the first set. I wore a shirt, shorts and my favourite grippy jandals.
• Be weather-proof. You could get a blistering hot sun in the morning, and then a thunderous downpour in the afternoon. Have your sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen on, and an umbrella safely stashed in case of rain. Else, you could buy an umbrella from the shop when the situation calls for one.
• Pack food. Or eat at the Ah Meng Restaurant/ Bistro/ KFC. We expected food to be pricier in the park, hence packed delicious sandwiches, eggs and bananas instead.
• Bring binoculars. If you’d like to spot the monkeys high up amongst the trees.
• Make good use of the free tram service. They have interesting commentaries about the different enclosures.
• If coming with young kids. You could rent a trike (holds 1) or wagon (holds 2) to bring or steer your children around for S$18 each.
• If coming with elderly relatives. You could rent a wheelchair for free at the reception counter. All areas are wheelchair accessible, but you’d have to forfeit some special or narrow trails that require stair-climbing.
• If feeding the animals. Don’t feed them with your food! Book a feeding slot for S$8 each (see the Mandai app). The animals have proper diets.

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Rambles and Conclusion

Well, you cannot go wrong with the man-made attractions of Singapore. The Mandai Zoo is a world-class attraction definitely worth a visit if you like animals, and have been through all the other cultural and free places of interest in this little red dot.

Not sure where to start your tour around Singapore? I’ve written a concise one-day budget plan for the frugal traveller like me.

The Mandai Zoo is nestled amongst the other animal-lover attractions like the River Wonders, Night Safari, and the Bird Paradise. You could visit all of them within two days. Get combo tickets to save money! Or the Zoo, River Wonders, and finally, the Night Safari, in that order, within a long day.

Coming from a local, that area is where young parents with children frequent to kill time and spend precious moments with their young family. So you bet you’ll see many children around, and glad that the park is designed with this in mind.